In Hollywood, the optics of a press tour are rarely neutral. And as Cynthia Erivo — the luminous, genre-defying star of Wicked: For Good — glides through premieres, fan events, and global interviews, one detail keeps sparking curiosity: the absence of Lena Waithe, her real-life partner of several years.
On paper, it’s an easy question: Why isn’t Waithe there?
But scratch the surface, and the answer becomes a much more layered reflection of privacy, identity, and the politics of visibility in Hollywood.
- THE POWER (AND BURDEN) OF PRIVACY
Erivo and Waithe have always approached their relationship with intentional discretion. Their bond — first glimpsed publicly through subtle gestures, quiet posts, and selective appearances — has never been treated like a publicity machine.
Their choice is deliberate. As Erivo has said, she believes in keeping a part of her life for herself: “I think I give enough of myself that I’m allowed to keep something for me.”
That ethos sets the tone. For a couple that values boundaries, showing up arm-in-arm at every Wicked premiere would feel more like performance than partnership.
Waithe, despite her own fame as a writer, actress, and producer, remains notably private when it comes to her personal life. Her absence, then, reads less like a mystery and more like consistency.
- A DELIBERATE DECISION TO AVOID COMMODIFICATION
There’s another layer: representation.
Queer Black women in Hollywood are often pressured to carry more than their careers — to symbolize visibility, progress, and pride. And while both Erivo and Waithe are trailblazers in their own right, becoming a packaged “public couple”, risks flattening them into a message, rather than letting them simply live.
Erivo has spoken candidly about her queerness and her attraction beyond gender labels. That honesty is visibility. That courage is representation. It doesn’t require turning her relationship into a marketing accessory for a blockbuster rollout.
Keeping Waithe off the red carpet may be less about secrecy and more about refusing to let their love become content — or commerce.
- LOGISTICAL AND PRACTICAL REALITIES
And then there’s the obvious: life is busy.
Press tours are notoriously grueling — twelve-hour days, multi-city flights, back-to-back interviews. Add in Erivo’s recent vocal strain, which led her and co-star Ariana Grande to skip full rounds of interviews at the New York premiere, and the picture becomes even clearer.
Waithe’s schedule is packed with her own creative commitments. Showing up for select milestones? Absolutely. Attending every single global photo op? Unrealistic — and unnecessary for a couple that has never operated that way.
Their public pattern has always been intentional, not exhaustive.
- A STATEMENT ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS BEYOND SPECTACLE
Hollywood loves a couple shot. It loves a hand-held stroll down the carpet. It loves a narrative — especially one featuring two powerful queer women of color.
But Erivo and Waithe are signaling something different: a relationship doesn’t need spectators to be real.
Their love exists whether or not cameras capture it. Their bond holds whether or not it’s validated by red carpets. By sidestepping the expectation of constant public performance, they’re reclaiming a kind of autonomy that the industry rarely offers.
Erivo, in a recent interview, emphasized how intentional she is about what parts of her life she shares — and what stays sacred. Waithe’s absence is part of that intention, not an oversight.
In the end, the real question isn’t:
“Why isn’t Lena Waithe there?”
It’s:
“Why should she have to be?”
If protecting their relationship from spectacle is an act of self-determination — even resistance — then maybe that’s the story worth celebrating.
Erivo and Waithe
Rob Shuter is a celebrity journalist, talk-show host, and former publicist who has represented an A-list roster including Jennifer Lopez, Alicia Keys, Kate Spade, Diddy, Jon Bon Jovi, Tyra Banks, Naomi Campbell, Jessica Simpson, and HRH Princess Michael of Kent.
He is the author of The 4 Word Answer, a bestselling self-help book that blends Hollywood insight with deeply personal breakthroughs. Rob hosts Naughty But Nice with Rob, a Top-20 iTunes entertainment podcast, and previously served as the only dedicated entertainment columnist at The Huffington Post. A veteran of television, magazines, and red-carpet crisis management, he also led OK! Magazine during its most competitive era.
Rob’s latest exclusives and insider reporting can be found at robshuter.substack.com.
His forthcoming novel, It Started With A Whisper, is now available for pre-order